


"Body Modification Does Not Change Character"

by punktaekai (Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson)



Series: Fictober 2020 [1]
Category: EXO (Band), SHINee, SuperM (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Autumn, Betaed, Established Relationship, Fictober, Fictober 2019, Fictober 2020, Fluff, M/M, Piercings, Tattooist Kim Kibum | Key, Tattooist Lee Taemin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:23:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26739556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson/pseuds/punktaekai
Summary: Taemin wants Jongin to meet him at work rather than at the warm, cozy diner and he's going to get Taemin back for this, but, Taemin is just full of surprises.Fictober 2019 Day 1:Leaves
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Lee Taemin
Series: Fictober 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946287
Comments: 7
Kudos: 38





	"Body Modification Does Not Change Character"

**Author's Note:**

> ahhhh it's halloween month!! sweater and cosy fic time
> 
> ~~did i literally stay up till minutes past midnight ao3 time to post this? yes, yes i did~~

Jongin shivers in the chilled air as he heads down the street, holding his latte close to his chest. He wants to curse Taemin out for this; his fingerless gloves are both giving him no freedom from the chill in the air, nor do they prevent the take out mug burning his palms. He changed their plans, last minute, that instead of meeting at the diner, Jongin should come and meet him from work. Jongin supposes that it _is_ romantic, but it’s way too cold to be romantic and he’s going to get his revenge somehow for this. He shivers slightly, his coat just too thin to really combat the knives of iciness starting to sink into his skin. He groans and hops over a pile of leaves - last autumn, he had the lack of luck to kick a pile and get dog shit all over his _literally Gucci_ shoes. Taemin hadn’t let him live it down until winter, when Taemin had fallen while ice skating and Jongin got to let _him_ never live something down.

Jongin turns onto the street with a sigh and sees the familiar sign swinging in the wind. It’s cute, a simple satchel with the words _Commes Des Tattoos_ in a slightly slanted font, bright red against the black sign. Kibum did well for himself, Jongin muses, as he heads towards the door. 

He’d met the Shinee Five, as they were called, when he went out to celebrate his undergraduate graduation. Lee Jinki, an aspiring opera singer who had already performed around the globe. Choi Minho, a well sought out soccer player who had more contracts he could choose to sign than Jongin did years of dance experience. Kim Jonghyun, a soft spoken radio host who had only gone to college to get a degree so his small time radio show could be broadcast country-wide. Kim Kibum, a student he knew of who had dropped out of college to everyone’s shock to follow a tattooist career. Lee Taemin, one of South Korea’s best dancers who had pushed the career away and said he was going to keep pursuing it as a hobby but didn’t feel like dancing was his future. 

Jongin had met them outside of _Commes Des Tattoos_ , whilst his drunken friends dragged his tipsy ass to the shop, laughing. Jongin had waved his hand and laid down, watching as Lee Taemin tattooed a pair of ballet shoes on his ankle, rolling his eyes as Jongin and the group burst into drunken laughing constantly. Kibum had come out, laughing with the other members of the Five only to start lecturing Taemin about doing drunken tattoos. Jongin had waved him off, promised Kibum he was only _tipsy_ and still in control of his brain, and then promptly rolled off the chair. 

He had come back the next day, nursing a hangover, embarrassed as he asked if he could buy them coffee or get them a gift card for a meal or anything as an apology. Kibum had begun to brush him off before Taemin leaned against the counter, grinning, his grey v-neck tank top hanging loosely and so gorgeously over his body. “How about a date?”

Jongin had blushed furiously, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water before he had stumbled over a _yeah, sure, I’ll pick you up at eight?_ and the rest was… well, history. He’d become an unofficial sixth member of the SHINee Five within a matter of a few months whilst the rest of his friends… had a lot of apologies to make for the mess they’d left in _Commes Des_ on the night of Jongin’s tattoo. A lot of that consisted of doing Kibum’s stock when they came in with Jongin - to their dismay but they did it without _much_ complaining. 

Kibum looks up from the desk as Jongin walks in and grins as he immediately shuffles to the heater. “Cold out there?”

“It’s not cold, more sweater weather, but this jacket is too thin for sweater weather.”

Kibum laughs softly and shakes his head. “Taemin’s with a client, a last minute booking he took on, feel free to make yourself at home. I’ll bring a chair over for you so you can get cosy with the heater.”

Jongin snorts. “Taemin cheats on me with work, I can most definitely cheat on him with this heater.” 

Kibum chuckles and gets up, grabbing one of the wheeled chairs from his tattoo section and bringing it over. Jongin puts his latte down and sheds his coat, hanging it on the back of the chair before he settles down. “Been busy today?”

“Not much, it’s actually been pretty quiet the past week but this is the week everyone’s paycheck runs out, so we’ll probably see a boom at the start of next week when everyone gets paid.”

Jongin nods and nurses his latte, letting the steam warm his cheeks. “I really should book in some time. I’d love to get another one.” 

“I don’t think you even need to book in, I think Taemin would tie you to that chair and go ham if you let him.”

Jongin laughs and nods. “He would. He’s been talking about wanting to expand into learning dotwork for a while, maybe I should let him practice on me somewhere only he can see.”

Kibum snorts as he settles at his computer. “Wait a little while until you guys are sure you’re never gonna see anyone again.”

"Oh?”

“Taemin’s dotwork is atrocious.”

Jongin snorts and shakes his head, looking up as the door separating Kibum and Taemin’s work stations opens. He smiles and waves at Wonsik as he comes out; he waves back, arm clad in cling film before he grabs his coat from the hook. “Are we still on for next week, Key?”

“If you keep calling me that, we won’t be.”

“Key?” Jongin raises an eyebrow. “What’s Key?”

Kibum rolls his eyes. “An old nickname that Taemin made up. He used to have a crush on me in high school and took to calling me Key because I was the,” Kibum pauses, bringing his hands up to make quotation marks. “The key to his heart.”

Jongin and Wonsik chuckle between themselves as Kibum glares at them both before he returns to his computer. “Yeah, you’re all booked in for next week.” Wonshik waves and heads out, giving Jongin a quick wave before Taemin heads into the parlour entrance. 

He pouts at Kibum, swatting at him. “My dotwork does not suck!”

“It needs definite improvement before I let you do anything on clients.”

Taemin shrugs. “I’m getting there.” 

Kibum nods, pursing his lips. “You are, but you still suck.”

Taemin scowls and swats at him again, playfully, before he turns to Jongin. Jongin’s mouth drops open. “What the hell is _that_ , Lee Taemin?”

Taemin brushes his fringe off his forehead, letting his fingers shift the small red stud sticking out of his eyebrow. “This? Kibum’s teaching me how to pierce and I needed practice and no one would let them practice on me, so I just did it myself on my lunch break.”

Kibum looks up, eyes narrowed, reaching up to turn Taemin’s head. “Good placement, but don’t do that again without supervision.”

Taemin nods before he gets up from where he’s leaning on the counter, pulling his coat on. “I’m done for the day, I’ve cleaned up my section.”

Kibum nods. “Flip the sign to _closed_ on your way out and lock it.”

Taemin nods. Jongin pulls his jacket on and hurries after Taemin, pausing outside as Taemin makes sure the door is locked. “So were you going to tell me you got an eyebrow piercing?”

“What? They’re hot.”

“You have metal shoved through your skin.”

“That is generally what a piercing is.”

"You have a piece of metal jammed through your eyebrow!"

Taemin rolls his eyes. "I do."

"Did you do this because you thought I'd think it was hot?"

Taemin scoffs, shoving his hands in his pockets. "No, I did it because I get piercings when I'm stressed, and I've been stressed and I just liked the idea of one because I like how they look."

Jongin winces. "I'm being a dick, aren't I?"

"Just a tad."

"I think it looks cool."

"Body modifications do not change my character, Jongin, you're dating a freaking _tattooist_."

"It just took me by surprise," Jongin stops and holds Taemin's arm, turning him so they're facing. He raises his hand, gently moving Taemin's fringe away and tucking it behind his ear. "It looks good. It suits you."

Taemin smiles a little. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, it's going to take some time to get used to, I think, but it suits you. And it is kinda hot."

Taemin scoffs. "I didn't do it for you."

"Admit it, a tiny bit was for me."

"It wasn't for you!"

"Uh huh, sure."

"I mean it, I did it for me. I just thought they looked cool."

"You never do anything because you think it looks cool."

Taemin huffs. "Fine."

"What?"

"I may have posted a challenge to Twitter that if I got 600 likes before TVXQ announced their comeback, I'd get an eyebrow piercing."

Jongin stares at him, blinking softly. "You're kidding."

"Nope."

"I guess you got 600 likes?"

"Two thousand, one hundred and eighty-four likes within a week."

Jongin bursts into laughter and Taemin scowls. "Jack ass."

"I can't believe you actually did it?"

"And you got a drunken tattoo because your friend said 'hey Jongin, you should get a drunken tattoo'."

"Okay, touche, touche- HEY."

Jongin shrieks as Taemin pushes him into a pile of leaves. He surfaces and shakes his head, staring at Taemin; Taemin grins down on him. "Done being a dick?"

"There could have been dog shit in here."

"Oh no, your Gucci."

"I'm wearing Versache, today, actually."

Taemin scoffs but holds his hand out. Jongin takes it and lets himself be pulled up and Taemin removes a leaf from his hair.

"I'm done being a dick. It's good, really, suits you."

Taemin grins and steps forward, holding his hand out. "Come on, I want my greasy burger. And you're paying Mr. Gucci and Versache."

Jongin scoffs and rolls his eyes but takes Taemin's hand with a grin, letting himself be dragged along. The sun is slowly starting to set and Jongin tilts his head, watching how the ruby gem in Taemin's eyebrow glints and glitters, seeming to glow in the orange haze starting to set across Seoul.

Jongin pauses, tugging Taemin to make him stop. He leans down, pressing a gentle kiss next to his piercing, making sure to not aggravate the piercing site. Taemin flushes and rolls his eyes, grinning as he drags Jongin to start walking again.

Yeah, it definitely makes him even more beautiful and Jongin could _definitely_ get used to this.


End file.
